When I Was Young
by Midna3452
Summary: "One thing you should know about me before I continue- I wasn't always the black substance that lives in Crona's bloodstream. No, I used to be completely different. I used to be human." My name is the Demon Sword, Ragnarok, and this is my story.
1. Part One

**A/N: Hey, everyone! This fanfic is the story of how Ragnarok became the Demon Sword he is today. One day while watching Soul Eater, I realized that no one had ever taken the time time explain Ragnarok's back-story; they mentioned that he'd been melted down and placed in Crona's bloodstream, but they never mentioned _how_ exactly he got there. So, I came up with this three-part fanfic! It's in first person, a writing style which I'm not completely used to, but I tried my best to write as if Ragnarok was the one typing on the keyboard. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ragnarok, Soul Eater, or anything related to it.**

**When I Was Young**

**Part One**

Hey. The name's Ragnarok, but you probably know me as the Demon Sword. I'm sure you know all about my Meister's past, about how his mother was an evil witch who infused him with black blood and tried to use him to bring about the end of world . . . Yeah, that's not news to you, right?

But does anyone ever wonder about _me_? About _my_ past, and why I am the way I am? And no, it's not just because Crona's a whiny little baby and I constantly have to beat him up to keep him on the right track.

No, my story starts before I even met him, before I knew just what exactly it meant to have "black blood."

It all started when I was nine years old.

* * *

My whole life, I've never been good at dealing with other people- oh, god, you see what that pink-haired idiot's done to me? I'm even _talking_ like him now! Geez . . .

Anyway, back to the point. So, I've never been good with people. No matter how hard I tried, people would either avoid me or make fun of me, mostly about my hair.

One thing you should know about me before I continue- I wasn't always the black substance that lives in Crona's bloodstream. No, I used to be completely different.

I used to be human.

I can still remember what I looked like- a pale, scrawny kid with dark eyes and a permanent scowl. My most prominent feature, though, was definitely my hair. It was a deep black that looked almost purple-tinted in the light, but the most interesting part about it was the striking white "X" in the center. The four sides of the "X" started from the tips of my hair and went all the way up to join together at the very top of my head. No matter how long I grew my hair, cut it short, or tried to dye the white out, those four sides always joined together at the top.

Naturally, since this was so unusual, it was constantly a source of interest to everyone I met. Everyone thought I'd dyed the white "X" onto the black, but when I tried to explain that it was natural, they didn't believe me. Not even my parents knew why I'd been born with such strange hair.

But, it wasn't just my hair that made people avoid me. I was the only weapon in a neighborhood of normal humans. Kids avoided me because their parents told them that I was dangerous. Of course, I was perfectly in control of my abilities; it's not like I was going to just transform into a sword the second somebody ticked me off. But there was no way to convince the other adults of this; even my parents' efforts went unrewarded.

And yes, for those of you who are wondering, I _do_ have parents. Or, at least, I _did_. Who knows if they're still alive now after all these years . . .

Anyway, they were wonderful people, and I loved them with all my heart.

I know what you're thinking: Ragnarok, the Demon Sword, capable of _love?_ Puh-_lease!_

But it's true- I _did_ love them, and anyone who knew me back then could've told you so. No matter what others said about me, they stuck by my side, and even defended me when people's distrust turned to outright anger and violence.

You see, the people who weren't afraid of me took it upon themselves to make my life a miserable hell. I would constantly have things thrown at me, and I was quite frequently beaten up by the local gang of "Ragnarok-haters," as I liked to call them.

Pretty big difference from how I am now, huh? When I was young, _I_ was actually the one being bullied, instead of the other way around. Crona thinks that that's the reason I'm so mean to him- that now that I've found someone weaker than me, I'm taking out all my pent up revenge on him.

Ha! Even if that _is_ true, it's not like I'd ever _admit_ that to him, the damn idiot . . .

Anyway, to make a long story short, no one but my parents really liked me when I was a kid.

And you all wonder why I'm so twisted.

But all that's just background. I'm sure the _real_ thing you want to know about is how in the world I ended up inside Crona's bloodstream.

Well, now you're gonna learn the truth, so you'd better be ready.

* * *

Like I said before, it all started when I was nine. That was when I had my first encounter with Medusa.

I was walking home after once again being roughed up by the Ragnarok-haters. I spit out a bit of blood and wiped my mouth off on my hand, glaring at the liquid as it stained my skin black.

That was another one of my quirks- the black blood. Instead of it being the normal, bright red, it had always been a disgusting black. The first time I'd gotten a cut and my parents had seen the dark liquid spilling down my knee, they'd rushed me to a hospital, fearing that I'd somehow gotten a horrible disease and was going to keel over any second. I had to go through every test imaginable, but the results were all the same: the doctors could find absolutely nothing wrong with me. After a few months of constant observation in the hospital, they finally released me, telling me that the black blood didn't act any differently than normal blood and that they didn't think it would have any negative effects on me in the near future. (By the way, it didn't get that useful ability to turn hard as a rock until later on.)

Of course, I tried to hide the fact that my blood was black. People were already concerned enough about my hair and the fact that I was a weapon; they didn't need _another _reason to dislike me. But, naturally, my secret was soon found out (after I'd accidentally scratched myself while climbing a tree), and people became even _more_ wary of me.

Oh, but I'm getting off-topic; I was talking about meeting Medusa for the first time.

So I was walking home after another bad day, when I got the feeling that I was being followed. I turned around, but no one was there. Frowning, I took a step forward and promptly ran into someone who I _knew_ hadn't been there a second ago.

"Oops, my bad," I apologized.

"It's no problem at all," the person said, and I realized that it was a woman. She was wearing a black, hooded jumpsuit with what looked two eyes on the sides of the hood. Her golden hair was tied in the front, and she had strange tattoos that wrapped around her arms.

"I've never seen you around here before," I commented. Once word had spread that a weapon with black blood was living in the area, people tended to stay away if they could help it. "Are you looking for someone?"

The woman's face split into a grin that reminded me of a hungry predator staring down its next meal. I started to shift my feet uncomfortably.

"Yes, actually," the woman (you can probably guess who, by now) replied. She took a step towards me. "I've been looking for _you_, Ragnarok- The Demon Sword."

"_Excuse_ me?" I questioned, still not liking the way she was smiling at me. "'Demon Sword?' What the hell does _that_ mean?_"_

"Oh, you haven't heard that name before?" The woman's expression turned surprised, but I could tell that the emotion was fake; she was perfectly aware that I had no idea what she was talking about.

"No, I haven't," I snapped. "I have to get home. 'Scuse me." I tried to push past her, but she grabbed my arm. I whirled around, glaring at her. "What the hell is your _problem?"_

"Please, just give me a moment to explain," she said, tightening her grip as I tried to jerk my arm out of her grasp. "I know all about you, Ragnarok; about how you can turn into a sword . . . and about your black blood."

I let out a slight gasp and narrowed my eyes. Everyone in the neighborhood knew about my black blood, sure, but there was no reason at all that a complete stranger should've been able to gain that information.

"How do you know about that?" I asked suspiciously, still trying to get my arm free. She just chuckled darkly.

"I've been doing some research. You are much more special than you realize, you know. One day, you can become the greatest weapon in the world, if you choose to do so, and I can help you reach that goal. If you'll let me, that is."

I snorted, not believing a word she was saying. I figured she must've been one of those crazy people that live on the streets or something that my parents had warned me about. I gave my arm another tug, but the woman refused to let go. I growled in annoyance.

"Look, lady, who _are_ you?" I yelled. The woman blinked.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I was so excited about finally getting a chance to talk to you that I forgot to introduce myself!" she said. She waved a hand over the ground and then slowly let go of my arm. "You can refer to me as Lady Medusa, and . . ."

I tried to dart down the sidewalk, but I was instantly thrown back by some unseen force. It felt like I'd run straight into an invisible wall, and I landed on my back on the sidewalk. Medusa leaned over me menacingly.

"I'm a witch!" she laughed, and my eyes widened. My parents had warned me about witches; they were nothing but trouble.

I quickly scrambled to my feet and tried again to run away, but I was once again thrown back. Medusa continued to laugh as I repeated this process several more times, only to be constantly knocked off my feet.

"You can't run away," she told me as I lay on the ground, breathing heavily. "You're laying on one of my Dark Arrows; anytime you try to get away, you'll just be thrown back to me."

"What do you want from me?" I asked, trying my best to glare, but I have to admit I _was_ getting a little scared. I mean, really, how often is it that a witch comes personally calling for you?

"Like I said before, I just want to help you," Medusa replied. She held out her hand to me. "I can teach you all the things you need to know to become the most powerful weapon in the world. Then you can take revenge on all those mean kids who bully you, wouldn't that be nice?"

I stared at her hand a moment, debating if she was really telling the truth. After a few seconds I stood up on my own, ignoring her hand.

"I don't trust you," I spat. "How the hell can you expect me to believe that you won't just kidnap me and use me for some horrible experiment or something?"

Just for a split-second, Medusa's mouth twitched up into a devilish grin, but she wiped it off her face so fast that at that time I'd missed it. God, how I wish I'd noticed that smile all those years ago . . . then I might've been more wary of any plans she had in store for me. However, at that time, I wasn't that good at picking up fleeting signs like that.

"I'm not going to kidnap you," Medusa said. "Listen, I'll tell you what; you can have tonight to think it over. Tomorrow, I'll send my son to see if you'd like to have another chat with me, about your mysterious black blood. Haven't you ever wondered about it, and why only _you_ seem to possess it?"

"Well, yeah," I muttered, but then I quickly shook my head and gave Medusa a defiant stare. "But I still don't trust you."

"Well, that's fine. Like I said, think it over tonight, and I'll have my son get your answer tomorrow. He'll be the boy with the pink hair and the distressed expression."

She waved her hand over the ground again and I felt a whoosh of air. I looked down and saw that the Dark Arrow previously on the pavement was nowhere to be found.

"Now, hurry home, Ragnarok," Medusa said, smiling again. "You don't want to be late for dinner."

I didn't move for a few seconds, and Medusa waved me away, giving me a look that it was okay to leave. Cautiously, I took a step back. When I wasn't knocked of my feet, I took another and another, until I turned around and was running as fast as I could down the sidewalk, ready to get inside my nice, warm house as soon as possible.

Now, as I think about what Medusa said to me that day, I realize something: she told me that she wasn't going to kidnap me, but she never said anything about the "horrible experiment" part.

If only I'd realized this little detail when I was a kid.

Things could have been so much better.

* * *

**A/N: As I said before, this story will be told in three parts. However, I can't give you a definate time when this will be updated, because I still have a little more to write. But don't worry, Part Two will definately be up within three weeks! While you're waiting, please review and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear feedback!**


	2. Part Two

**A/N: Okay, forget about three weeks- that was only because I was worried I wasn't going to finish this anytime soon and didn't want to leave anyone hanging with false promises of a fast update . . . but I finished Part Three the other morning, so it will be put up in a few days (once I've had time to edit it). Anyway, I just wanted to thank everyone who gave me a wonderful review, and those of you who just enjoyed reading it as well! I hope you enjoy Part Two!**

**Part Two**

That night I thought about what Medusa had said and came to this conclusion: she was completely crazy. There was no way that _I_, of all people, could become the greatest weapon in the world. Although I was still curious how she found out about my black blood, I resolved to tell her son the next day that I wasn't going to take her up on her offer.

If the kid actually showed up, that is. I was still skeptical; I hadn't told Medusa where I'd be, so how was her kid supposed to find me? I wasn't really worried about that, though. The witch herself had already found me, so what difference did it make if her son did as well?

I didn't tell my parents about my encounter with Medusa because I didn't want to worry them. If they knew a witch was after me, they'd probably never let me leave the house again, afraid that I'd be snatched away and never come back.

Funny how things turn out sometimes, huh?

Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Anyway, the next day I headed off to school as usual (and yes, I _did_ go to school when I was a kid). As the day wore on, I gradually started to forget about Medusa.

At least until recess, that is.

Ah, yes, my first encounter with Crona, the strangest kid I've ever met. I can remember it like it was yesterday . . .

I was sitting on one of the swings, alone as usual, thinking about how nice it was that the Ragnarok-haters hadn't bothered me that much that day, when I heard a noise behind me. I turned around and saw someone standing outside the chain-link fence that surrounded the playground.

The kid looked a few years younger than me, with dull pink hair and big, blue eyes. He was wearing a black dress that went about halfway below his knees, leaving the rest of his legs down to his socks bare. He was staring at the top of the gate, frowning slightly, and I realized that he was thinking of a way to climb it.

"Hey, you're Medusa's kid, aren't you?" I said, hopping of the swing and walking up to the fence. The kid let out a startled gasp, having not noticed me walking up to him, and I knew I was right when I got a good look at his face.

His expression was definitely distressed; his wide eyes looked unnaturally haunted for someone so young. He opened his mouth to say something, and then quickly shut it and gripped his right arm, just above his elbow.

I raised one eyebrow; I'd never seen someone look so nervous before. He glanced around for a moment, before finally settling his gaze on the ground in front of him.

"U-um, y-you're Mister Ragnarok, r-right?" he asked in a high, frightened voice.

I couldn't help but smile a little bit; no one had ever called me "Mister" before.

"And what if I am?" I questioned, crossing my arms, and the kid looked at me like a deer in headlights.

"L-Lady Medusa told me to g-get your answer," he said, and I frowned.

"You call your _own mother_ 'Lady Medusa?'"

"Well, I, um . . ." He trailed off and didn't say anything more. I sighed in annoyance. This kid was so nervous it was aggravating.

"Look, do you have to talk to me through the fence?" I asked, and the kid looked from me to the top of the fence and back.

"But, I . . . I can't climb over it," he explained.

"You don't have to _climb_ it!" He looked completely confused, so I jerked my thumb towards a part of the fence a little ways to the right. "There's a door right there!"

The kid looked at the spot and his eyes widened even more. I didn't think that was physically possible but hey, there were a lot of things I didn't think were possible back then.

Anyway, so the kid scurried over to the door as I opened it. He darted into the playground and stood about ten feet away from me, glancing around anxiously. I took a step towards him and in turn he took a step back. No matter how close I tried to get to him, he always kept the distance between us the same.

"You're a weird kid, you know that?" I commented, and he stared at the ground again. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Crona," he replied, still not meeting my gaze. "Um, d-do you have an answer for Lady Medusa?"

"Yeah, tell her thanks, but no thanks; I'm perfectly fine just as I am."

Crona stared at me with those big eyes, and I admit it was kind of unnerving, especially when his face twisted in a tormented expression.

"Oh, no, please . . .," he whispered, so softly I almost didn't hear. "You have to say yes!"

"What do you mean I _have_ to?" I yelled, and Crona flinched.

"Please, if I give Lady Medusa a bad answer, she'll get mad at me!"

"It's not a _bad_ answer, it's just _my_ answer!" I couldn't understand why Crona was getting so upset. He locked gazes with me, and I'd never seen a kid look so serious before.

"Any negative answer is a bad answer if Lady Medusa asks you to do something," he said. "You're not supposed to disobey her, or you'll get punished."

I just looked at him like he was crazy.

"Okay, if she messed_ you_ up this bad, then _I'm_ definitely not going to get any help from her," I said.

"Mister Ragnarok, please-"

"Hey, what are you doing in here?" a female voice exclaimed, and we both turned to see my teacher walking over to us. I then noticed that all of the other kids were staring at us; apparently, my yelling had attracted their attention.

"Well, now, where did you come from, little one?" my teacher asked, kneeling down so that she was eye-level with Crona. She was too close for comfort, and Crona quickly moved back a few feet. The teacher held out a hand to him. "It's alright; don't be afraid. Are you lost?"

Crona stared at her for a moment and then he turned his gaze on me. I knew he was expecting me to change my mind, but I wasn't going to give into those sad eyes.

"I already told you! No! That's my final answer!" I shouted, and Crona winced.

"Ragnarok!" my teacher yelled, turning to me. Crona saw his chance and, with one final tormented look, he dashed out of the gate. I had no idea that he could move so fast; he was almost at the corner of the street before the teacher even noticed that he was gone. When she did notice, however, she wasn't happy.

"Oh, that poor child!" she said. "What if he'd been lost and needed some help?" She looked around, as if searching for someone besides herself to blame for Crona's escape, and soon her gaze settled on one particular, very annoyed boy.

Three guess who _that_ was.

So, I ended up having to stay after school that day to have a talk to my teacher about "scaring off an innocent little child in need," and I had to stay for quite a while because the teacher thought that Crona might come back, and she was afraid that if I was left to wander the streets as I normally did until dinnertime, I would scare him away again. Naturally, I was in a pretty bad mood when I finally was allowed to leave school.

However, if I'd have known what fate awaited me on the way home, I would have gladly stayed after a thousand more hours, as long as I was able to stay off the streets on that fateful night.

* * *

I was making my way home, grumbling about how unfair my teacher was, when suddenly I heard a high-pitched scream to my right. Whoever it was, they sounded like they were in a lot of pain. As the screaming changed into pitiful crying, I managed to figure out that the noise was coming from a little alleyway a few feet ahead of me.

Just as I got to the entrance to the alley, a black shape slithered out. I jumped, realizing that it was a snake, but it paid no attention to me; it just continued on its way. I frowned, wondering why a snake would be in this part of town. I was brought out of my thoughts when the cries of pain turned into audible words.

"Help! Anyone, please!" cried a familiar voice. My mouth opened in shock.

"You've gotta be kidding me . . .," I groaned as I rounded the corner and entered the alleyway. There was a boy with pink hair scrunched into a ball on the ground, clutching his right leg. "You again?"

"Mister Ragnarok!" Crona exclaimed when he saw me, his sad eyes filling with relief. He tried to stand up but immediately fell down with a yelp when he put weight on his leg.

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked, rushing over to steady him as he tried to get up again. Distracted by trying to make sure his balance was okay, I didn't notice how Crona's eyes darted around wildly before he answered, an obvious clue that what he was about to tell me might not have been the exact truth.

"I, um, I tripped and fell," he told me, wincing as he accidentally leaned on his leg. "I think my ankle might be broken."

"How the hell do you trip and break your ankle in a deserted alleyway?" I exclaimed. I raised one eyebrow at him. "What were you doing down here anyway?"

"Oh, I was, um . . ." He tried to think of a reasonable excuse, but finding none he decided to try once again to stand up. This wasn't a good idea, however, because he immediately grabbed his ankle and let out another cry of pain.

"Ow, it hurts so bad! I don't know how to deal with this!"

Ah, there it was- the first time I'd heard Crona's annoying catchphrase. To this day, I still can't deal with- _Damn it, _Crona! All thing time spent around him is making me talk like him again! Geez! Ugh, anyway, back to the story.

"If you can't deal with it, then why don't we just try and get you some help instead of you sitting here whining?" I suggested. As you can see, I've never understood why Crona had to whine about everything instead of actually _doing something_ about it. "Look, there's a hospital a few blocks from here; why don't I take you there?"

"No!" Crona said quickly, and then gripped his arm when I gave him a confused look. "Um, I-I mean, can you take me to my house? Lady Medusa can help me."

"No way, I'm not going anywhere _near_ that crazy mother of yours!" I said resolutely.

"Please . . ." Crona looked at me and I could see tears in his eyes. I wasn't sure if they were from the pain in his ankle or from the thought of not going to Medusa when he was supposed to, but they _did_ have an effect on my innocent little heart.

After a few seconds, my resolve to avoid Medusa crumbled, and I sighed, defeated.

"Alright, fine, I'll take you home," I said gruffly, and Crona sighed in relief. I stood up, pulling Crona up with me but making sure not to let his right foot touch the floor. "Uh, can you walk at all?"

Crona took a tentative step forward and would've fallen flat on his face if I hadn't been holding him up. I rolled my eyes.

"God, you're just helpless, aren't you?" I knelt down, putting Crona's hand on my shoulder so he wouldn't fall over. "Here, put your arms around my neck; I'll carry you."

Hesitantly, he wrapped his skinny arms around my neck, clasping his hands together under my chin. I grasped his legs and hoisted him into the air. I was amazed at how light he was; I knew he was smaller than me, but there was no way he should've been _that_ light, unless his diet had been severely restricted.

Ignoring these thoughts, I let Crona point me in the right direction and we headed off towards his house, not knowing that we'd be much closer than this in a very short amount of time.

* * *

Eventually, we made it to a long, gravel driveway a little ways off from the main road. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, preparing myself for the huge, dark mansion with bats flying around it that the witch was sure to live in. However, when I looked at the house, I found that it was completely normal.

Not that this fact made me want to go _inside_ the place, though.

"Uh, are you sure you can't make it from here?"I asked, angling my head so I could talk to Crona. He gave me a pathetic look, which really wasn't a hard thing for him to do.

"It really hurts . . . can you please take me inside, Mister Ragnarok?"

I looked at him for a second, and then sighed and turned back to the house.

"Alright, fine," I muttered, and I started towards the door.

As I got closer to the house, a horrible sense of foreboding came over me. It was so strong that I actually stopped walking; I knew deep in my gut that if I went into that house, I might not make it out.

"M-Mister Ragnarok?" Crona questioned when I continued to stand in the middle of the driveway.

"I don't wanna go in that house," I told him. "Make your mother come out here and get you."

"Oh, no, I couldn't do that!" Crona exclaimed. "Please, just take me in the front door, and then you can go!"

"Okay, I'll leave you right outside."

"Okay- wait, no, you have to go _inside_!" I could sense Crona starting to panic, and I glared at him suspiciously.

"Why _exactly_ do I have to go inside?" I asked. Crona averted his gaze to the ground.

"Um, because, uh . . .," he trailed off, thinking of a way to convince me to go into the house. I, however, wasn't going to be swayed that easily.

"'Um, because, uh' isn't a good enough reason," I said.

"W-what are you doing?" Crona asked as I knelt down and placed his feet on the ground, being mindful of his ankle.

"I'm putting you down; get to the door yourself." I managed to pry his arms away from where they were hanging onto my neck, as if begging me not to let him go.

"Wait! No!" Crona exclaimed as I started to walk away. Being the idiot he was (and still is), he took a step on his injured foot and fell over with a startled yelp. I should've just walked away right then and there, but Crona's pitifulness was so amazing that I had to pause to shake my head in disbelief.

"You are so _pathetic!"_ I groaned. I jumped when I felt something suddenly grab my pant leg. I looked down to find Crona gripping the bottom of my pants and staring up at me imploringly.

"Damn it!" I cursed, trying to shake him off. I started to get angry when he wouldn't let go. "Get the hell _off_ me!"

"Please, Ragnarok!" Crona cried. "If you don't take me inside, Lady Medusa will get mad and punish me, and I can't deal with that!"

"What happened to _Mister _Ragnarok?" I sneered, now leaning down to remove his hands from where they were firmly gripped onto my pant leg. "And would Medusa seriously punish you if you're injured?"

Crona said nothing, just stared up at me with those haunted eyes, and I got the feeling that I already knew the answer to that question. Crona still refused to let go of me, though. I tried to jerk my leg away, but Crona just slid along the gravel with it, cringing as the rocks scraped against his torso.

"Man, you sure are persistent!" I commented. I realized that he had started crying again; either his slide along the gravel was more painful than it looked, or he was _really_ scared of getting punished. I tried to get away again, but when Crona refused to loosen his grip, I sighed in annoyance.

"Look, kid, if you're _that_ scared then I'll take you to the door," I reluctantly said. I could see a little spark of hope in Crona's eyes. I snarled at him again. "But I'm not going any farther than that!"

"Thank you!" Crona said gratefully as I helped him up off the ground. I noticed that the gravel had ripped his dress in a few places, and he had some nicks and cuts here and there.

"Hey, uh, sorry about that," I said. Crona looked confused, so I motioned to his outfit. "You got kinda scraped up from the gravel."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I did," Crona remarked, as if he were commenting on the weather. "I didn't really notice . . .

"Doesn't it hurt, though?" I asked, once again realizing just how strange this kid was. Crona merely shrugged and gripped his arm, leaning on me for support.

"My ankle hurts a lot worse." He looked at the house, and then back at me. "C-can you help me in inside now?"

"_To the door,_ yes," I specified, once again hoisting him onto my back. I walked down the rest of the driveway, up the three wooden steps, and stopped in front of the innocent-looking front door. I set Crona down a little rougher than I'd meant to because I was so eager to get out of there. Just as Crona raised a hand to ring the doorbell, the door swung inward, and there stood the person I'd most wanted to avoid.

"Ragnarok, thank you so much for bringing my son back," Medusa said, smiling. I could tell she was trying to look sincere, but I could see the evil glint in her eyes.

"No problem. I gotta go now- bye!" I said, and then turned to run down the steps and as far away from that house as possible. However, I immediately felt something grab my arm and jerk me backwards, and before I could fight back I found myself lying on the floor of the entrance hall. I sat up just as Medusa shut the door behind me.

Suddenly, I felt something wrap around my body. I looked down and saw one of Medusa's Dark Arrows surrounding me, locking my arms at my sides and preventing me from moving very much. I tried vainly to break the arrow, but it was no use; the only thing I managed to do was fall over onto my side, like some helpless, trapped animal.

"Now, Ragnarok, what do you say to rethinking your answer from earlier, hmm?" Medusa asked, taking my chin in her hand and tugging my head up so I was looking at her face.

"No!" I spat, jerking my head away, She frowned at me and was about to say something else, when Crona quietly spoke up from where he was sitting in the corner of the hallway.

"Um, L-Lady Medusa . . .," he started to say, but he trailed off when Medusa turned her angry expression on him. He seemed unable to speak anymore, so instead he just pointed to his ankle.

"Oh, right," Medusa said, walking over to him. She waved a hand over his ankle and I saw an arrow shoot out of her palm and into Crona's leg. Crona winced, but still didn't say anything.

"There, is it all better now?" Medusa asked. Crona twisted his ankle experimentally and then nodded.

"Yes. Thank you, Lady Medusa."

"Good. Do things right next time, and maybe I'll try and make it a little less painful."

"Wait a second!" I exclaimed as the realization dawned on me. I stared at the witch, horrified. "_You_ did that to his ankle!"

"I had to; he's not a very good actor, and I needed his performance to be as convincing as possible."

"But he's your _son_!"

"And therefore I can do whatever I want with him." She walked back over to me and knelt down. "Now, I think it's time for a change of location, don't you?"

"I thought you said you weren't going to kidnap me!" I yelled. It was a useless thing to say- I knew Medusa probably wouldn't care- but I wanted to try and buy some time so I could attempt to think of a way out of this mess. Medusa grinned devilishly.

"Silly boy!" she cooed, ruffling my hair. "I didn't kidnap you; you came here all on your own!"

"But you sent Crona to lead me here!"

"Ah, but you didn't _have_ to help him. You could have just left him in the alley!"

I stared at her, open-mouthed, as I realized that she was right- according to her logic, I _had_ basically gone to the house of my own free will.

"Anyway, we should probably get moving; the owners of this house will be coming back soon," Medusa said. I saw a Dark Arrow form in her hand, and she grinned down at me.

"See you in a few hours, Demon Sword!" she laughed, and then the arrow hit me.

The last thing I was aware of was Crona standing over me, gripping his arm, his expression regretful.

"I'm sorry, Ragnarok," he said quietly, and then everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, the next update will be the final part! Look foward to it in a few days or so! **


	3. Part Three

**A/N: Well, here's the final part! I thank everyone again who reviewed or who just enjoyed reading it! **

**SPOILER WARNING: For those of you who haven't watched up to episode 45, there will be a slight spoiler towards the end! **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Ragnarok, just his story.**

**Part Three**

I couldn't tell you how long I was out for. I just know that when I woke up, I was scared to death.

As I slowly came to, I realized that I was lying on some sort of stone slab, and my wrists and ankles were bound to the stone by four leather straps, my arms spread out at my sides. I got the eerie feeling that I was on some sort of operating table.

"Ragnarok, a-are you awake?" asked a quiet voice to my right. I turned my head and saw Crona strapped to an identical table, looking even more frightened than usual.

"Crona . . .?" I questioned, and then it dawned on me that Medusa must've put me on that slab, which was certainly _not_ a good thing. Instantly, I started to struggle with the bonds around my hands and feet, but it was no use; no matter how hard I tugged or whichever way I twisted, they refused to break.

"_Damn it!"_ I cursed, flailing around wildly.

"It's no use," Crona said, and I paused my struggle to glare at him. "You won't be able to break those straps; there's nothing you can do."

"We'll see about that!" I growled, ever the defiant one. Suddenly, I realized that there was something strange about Crona (well, stranger than him being his normal self, that is). "Wait- why are _you_ strapped to one of these damn tables, too?"

He glanced around the room for a moment, a terrified look in his eyes, before finally settling his gaze on me.

"I don't know . . .," he admitted. He was so scared that he was shaking violently; I could see the straps around his wrists trembling as he gripped then with all his might. "Lady Medusa b-brought me in here and s-strapped me to this table."

"Where exactly is _here_?" I asked, taking another look at my surroundings. The room was filled with dozens of tables, many of which were covered with beakers of various sizes and shapes. They were all full of strange-colored liquids, which were bubbling unsettlingly. I also saw a giant vat sitting front of me, its maroon-colored contents swirling around of their own accord.

"We're in Lady Medusa's l-laboratory," Crona told me, his voice shaking. I glanced over at him and saw him staring at me with those big, haunted eyes again. "She . . . Lady Medusa . . . She told me never to come in here . . ."

"Then whatever reason we're in here for is probably a really bad thing," I said. I did another visual sweep of the room, trying to see if there was anything at all that might help me escape, but nothing looked promising.

Suddenly, I heard a door open and close behind me. Crona tried to twist around to see who it was, but I already knew without having to look. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever the witch had in store for me.

"Lady Medusa!" Crona cried, and I opened my eyes to find Medusa standing over me, grinning.

"Well, well, you're finally awake!" she laughed, and I snarled at her, which was probably the most menacing thing I could do at that point. However, instead of being intimidated, she just laughed again.

"L-Lady Medusa . . .?" Crona called again, a little less enthusiastically this time. The grin slipped off her face and she sighed wearily.

"What is it, Crona?" she asked, turning to her son. I angled my head to watch him, and he was shaking even more than before.

"Um, uh . . . w-what are m-me and Ragnarok doing in h-here?" he stuttered. "And . . . and why are w-we strapped to these t-tables?"

"I already told you, Crona," Medusa said, sounding annoyed. "It's for a little experiment of mine. You need to _listen_ when I'm telling you these things so you remember!"

"I'm sorry, L-Lady Medusa!" Crona yelped, terrified of making her mad. "I-I _do_ remember what you told me, it's just . . . why am _I_ in here, t-too?"

"Oh, did I not mention it to you before?" Crona shook his head. I saw Crona's eyes widen even more, and I guessed Medusa must've given him one of her creepy smiles. She reached out and ruffled his hair, and Crona flinched as if she was going to hit him.

From what I'd seen so far, I knew she'd already done much worse than that.

"You're going to be a part of my experiment too, my sweet Crona," the witch purred, and Crona gasped in fear; from the look on his face, I could tell that he'd already witnessed some of Medusa's so-called "experiments," and they weren't a pretty sight.

"Now, Ragnarok," Medusa said, turning back to me. "It's time I told you about your black blood."

"Whatever it is, I don't care!" I yelled. "Just let me _out_ of here!"

"Sorry, I can't do that quite yet." The witch smiled at me again. "But it's not the time to discuss that; now I'm going to tell you about your wonderful black blood."

"'_Wonderful?'_ Lady, you're crazy!"

"You just don't understand the amazing qualities your blood possesses!" Medusa reached over to a nearby table and grabbed a small knife which was probably used for dissecting things. My eyes widened as I realized what she was going to do and I struggled with the straps around my hands and feet, but like before they refused to move. I sucked in a breath through my teeth as Medusa sliced the blade across my finger, making the cut just wide enough that a drop of blood could fall onto the knife. Once this was done, she lowered the blade so I could see the black liquid.

"This blood, when put to the right use, can spread madness," Medusa explained to me as I glared at her with all my might. "Well, technically, it enhances the madness that every human possesses. You see, by bringing this madness to the surface of people's minds, chaos will erupt and the whole world will go insane!

"My experiment is to see if I can create a being that is capable of spreading the madness. Thus, I needed _you_. The black blood isn't found in just _anyone_, you know."

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open as I realized just how truly insane this woman must be.

"You . . . you want to bring about the end of the world through _madness_?" I yelled, and Medusa merely smiled at me. I turned my head to glare at Crona. "Did you know about this?"

"W-well, I'd _heard_ about it . . .," Crona admitted, looking down sheepishly.

"Crona, you're distracting Ragnarok when I'm trying to talk to him!" Medusa snapped, and Crona winced as if she'd hit him.

"Sorry, Lady Medusa," he apologized.

Okay, I admit it- I _was_ feeling a little sorry for Crona by this point; his mother really seemed to have it out for him for no apparent reason. However, I didn't let those thoughts distract me from the current situation I was in.

"Hey, psycho lady!" I called, bringing Medusa's attention back to me. "Listen- I really don't want to be a part of your experiment. Can you just let me go?"

I knew this was a really pathetic thing to say, but I was quickly running out of options to choose from that might even remotely help me get out of that lab. I realized that this might not have been the right choice of words when a small frown crossed Medusa's face.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of your mouth, Ragnarok," she said, leaning towards me menacingly.

"Yeah, well, if you let me out of here then you won't have to hear it!" I pointed out, and Medusa's frown deepened.

"Children shouldn't speak to their elders like that," she told me. "I'm letting you know now; be good, and I'll make this as painless as possible. Be bad, however . . ."

She left the threat hanging, but I ignored it, guessing that whatever she was going to do to me would be painful anyway.

"You're not my mother!" I snapped, starting to act a little more like the child I was as my resistance was starting to crumble; being strapped to that table was finally getting to me. "I don't have to listen to you!"

Medusa's eyes narrowed into slits, making her look more like the snakes she so dearly loved.

"I'm going to start the experiment now," she told me calmly, and my eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on!" I shouted as she turned towards the table again. "What exactly are you going to _do_?"

"It'll be a surprise," she said, turning back to face me, and I saw that she was now clutching an even bigger knife than before. "Now, for this to work, I'll need you to turn into your weapon form."

"Who said I was gonna go along with your crazy plan?" I yelled, and then I flinched instinctively as she held the knife high over my stomach.

"Please comply, Ragnarok, or you're going to make this much more painful than it needs to be."

"R-Ragnarok, you'd better listen to her . . .," Crona said quietly.

"Shut up!" I snarled at him, not taking my eyes off of that knife. I was trying to think of how I could get her to put the knife down, and in the haze of fear that was beginning to cloud my brain I thought of baiting her to do it- maybe, if I acted like I wasn't afraid, she'd put the knife down and not try to stab me or anything.

What a stupid idea _that_ was . . .

"I-I'm not scared!" I said defiantly, mentally cursing myself for letting my voice waver. Medusa's lips twitched up into a grin again.

"Oh, really?" she asked, and then, like a snake striking its prey, she brought the knife down on my arm, making a gash from my elbow down to my wrist. I let out a howl of pain and started thrashing around again. The pain was so intense that I couldn't quite focus on what was going on around me; I was only dimly aware of Medusa's laughter and the fact that Crona had started crying again. I didn't know if it was because he was afraid for _my_ well-being, or because he was afraid Medusa was going to do the same thing to him, but at that point I didn't really care what the reason was; I just wanted the pain to stop.

Eventually, the pain died down enough that I could focus clearly on my surroundings again. I was sweating all over and I was breathing heavily from the effort of once again trying to sever the bands around my hands and feet. I found Medusa, still standing next to me with a small smile on her face, and did my best to glare at her.

"Are you wondering why that hurt so much?" she asked. I didn't respond out loud, but as I looked down at my arm and actually saw the relatively minimal amount of damage the cut had done, I got a little confused. It was barely skin-deep; there was no way it should've caused _that_ amount of pain.

"This knife is infused with magic," Medusa continued. "I created it myself. When it cuts you, it causes ten times the amount of pain than what you should actually feel; pretty useful when I have someone with black blood that I'm not too keen on spilling uselessly, for example, eh?"

I could only snarl at her. I heard sobs coming from my right and saw that Crona was still bawling; I wondered if he'd been Medusa's test subject for seeing how well that knife worked . . .

Knowing what that witch was capable of, I wouldn't have put it past her to do something like that to her poor kid.

"Let's try this again," Medusa said, and I turned my attention back to her. She held the knife over my chest this time, daring me to resist her again. "Turn into your weapon form, Ragnarok."

"You're never gonna get away with this," I growled, but Medusa merely moved the knife downwards a few centimeters. Realizing that she was serious about hurting me again, it only took me a few seconds to decide whether to comply with her or not.

After years of being abused by my peers, my will had already been broken far more than I let on. Closing my eyes and praying that I'd be able to get through whatever Medusa did to me, I changed into my weapon form.

As soon as I did this, the straps around my wrists and ankles were no longer holding me back- as a sword, I _had_ no wrists or ankles to bind to that table! I could try and make an escape!

Unfortunately, this realization struck me a few seconds too late; by the time I thought of transforming back into my human form and making a break for it, Medusa had already wrapped another Dark Arrow around me, preventing me from changing back.

Whatever happened next is still kind of a blur in my mind. All I know is that Medusa started laughing like crazy and picked me up, and I tried to get away but the Arrow held me in place. The next thing I know I was being thrown into the vat with the maroon-colored liquid.

As soon as I touched the surface of the liquid, my whole body felt like it was on fire. No- it was _worse_ than being on fire. Imagine the worst pain you've ever felt and multiply it by about ten times- _that's_ how much it hurt to be in that vat.

The last thing I remember before the pain became too much to bear was Medusa's maniacal laughter and Crona's unrelenting wailing. I tried to stay awake as long as I could, but after a few minutes, I just couldn't take it anymore.

As I slowly faded into unconsciousness, I hoped that I would wake up to find that this had all been some horrible dream, and I was really safe at home in my bed, my loving parents downstairs waiting for me to wake up and come down to breakfast.

Sadly, my hopes had a habit of not being answered very often, and this time was no exception.

* * *

The next thing I remember was waking up in a dark, enclosed space. Well, not really _enclosed_, but . . . it's really hard to explain how it felt. It was like the walls were pressing down on me, yet if I pushed hard enough against them I was sure I could break through them. So, I tried just that.

It was a totally bizarre feeling; I was aware that I should be able to feel my hands (and every other limb, for that matter), yet I _couldn't_. I was pushing against the wall with my whole body, and yet at the same time it felt like I wasn't. You can't truly understand how it felt unless you've experienced it yourself.

Lucky for you, you won't have to.

Anyway, after what felt like hours of trying to break free of the prison-like place I was in, I finally felt the walls starting to give. With one last burst of energy, I broke free and was able to see a dim light. There was a high-pitched, whining noise in the background, but I paid no attention to it; I was more concerned with the fact that I seemed to have _no body_- I just felt like some swirling mass of substance.

Naturally, I started to freak out, but before I knew it I had somehow reformed into a fixed shape. However, it was _not_ the body I was accustomed to.

I examined myself frantically, horrified at what I saw. I was no longer human, I was sure of that; humans didn't have inky-black skin that felt like it would turn to liquid the moment I willed it to. Reaching up with now white-gloved hands, I realized that my familiar, black and white hair was no longer there. The white "X" seemed to have been transferred to my face, and my eyes felt like they were literally bugging-out of my head. It also felt like I had no mouth, but I knew that I did.

"_WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?" _I screamed, looking around frenetically for any sign of Medusa; when I found her, I was going to _kill_ that witch!

I tried to walk, but I realized that I no longer had any legs- the bottom half of my body seemed to be attached to something. It was shaking violently, and it reminded me of looking at someone's back when they were crying.

Slowly, my eyes traveled up the object and came to rest on a shock of dull, pink hair. Completely aghast, I realized that the background noise I'd been hearing was Crona's tortured screams. The kid was laying face down on a bed, screaming bloody murder . . .

. . . and I was literally _coming out of his back._

As I finally started to grasp the situation I was in, I started screaming as well. I frantically pushed on Crona's back, trying somehow to get free, but I soon realized that this was hopeless; not only was I now attached to him, but the more I tried to get free the louder he screamed. Eventually I gave up trying to free myself and decided to just attempt to get some information out of the wailing child.

"Crona! Crona! _Damn it, Crona, LISTEN TO ME!"_ I yelled as loud as I could, whacking him on the back of the head.

"_Ow, Ragnarok!"_ he cried, his howls of pain finally turning into audible words. He turned his head around as far as he could to look at me, and his tormented blue eyes seemed to bug out as much as mine were when he saw me. "W-what happened to you?"

"_That's what I want to know, you damn son of a witch!"_ I screamed, making him wince. "I woke up in this dark, enclosed space, and when I tried to get free I ended up coming out of _your_ back! What did Medusa do to me?"

Crona's mouth opened, but he seemed unable to speak. I snarled at him, and gripped his hair, sick of how helpless he seemed- if anyone deserved to act helpless at that point, it was definitely _me._

"_WHAT DID SHE DO TO ME?" _I yelled, and Crona started crying even more.

"W-when you turned into w-weapon f-form, she m-melted you d-down!" Crona tried to explain through his tears. "T-then she put you i-in this big n-needle they use for s-shots and p-put it in m-my arm, and . . ._ Oh, I don't know how to deal with this anymore!_"

He once again dissolved into tears and didn't seem able to speak anymore, so I reluctantly let go of his hair and tried to piece together what he'd told me, plus what Medusa had said to me earlier.

She wanted to use me to bring about madness. Well, she actually wanted my _blood_ . . . and she melted me down . . . but, if she melted me down, then I should be _dead,_ right?

"Well, hello there!" said a cheerful voice laced with satisfaction, and I whipped my head around to see Medusa entering the room through a door to my right.

"_YOU! How could you do this to me?"_ I snarled at her. Overcome with rage, I tried to jump at her, forgetting that I was currently attached to Crona. I didn't get very far, but the force of me trying to move made Crona fall off the bed with a yelp and land on the floor- right on his back, which now meant that he was also right on top of _me_.

"GET OFF ME!" I yelled, trying to push him up, and I managed to get him into a sitting position. I glared at Medusa, who was laughing at us.

"You're going to have to work on your coordination," she told me, grinning, and it took all my strength to not try and strangle her- I knew I wouldn't be able to get up on my own, and attempting that would only make her laugh more.

"I'm sure you're wondering what exactly happened to you, am I right?" the witch continued before I could start hurling insults at her.

"Yes, I _have_ been wondering, damn it!" I cursed. Medusa clucked her tongue disapprovingly and waved a finger at me.

"Ah ah, watch your mouth, Ragnarok," she said, and then she smiled. "Anyway, I melted you down into black blood- I found out that if I did it carefully, you would survive and wouldn't be harmed in the process-"

""Wouldn't be harmed?' _Look at me! _You call this not being harmed?"

"I haven't finished explaining!" she snapped, and with some effort I managed to keep quiet, wanting to know exactly what she'd done. "I should've said that you'd still be able to function, just a little differently than you're used to. So, once you were melted into black blood- with a few other components I added-, I implanted you into Crona's bloodstream. Therefore, you and Crona now have a symbiotic relationship- one cannot exist without the other."

"Wait- so you're saying we're _stuck like this_?" I exclaimed, and Crona started bawling even louder.

"Yes," Medusa confirmed. "You are now Crona's weapon, and he is your Meister. And don't worry about being compatible- I already checked that out beforehand, and you two are perfectly capable of being able to resonate."

"But . . . _why?"_ I asked, trying to take everything in; being implanted into someone's (who just happened to not only be the son of a witch, but a Meister as well) bloodstream in the form of black blood is a lot for a nine-year-old boy to handle. "Why did you do this to me?"

"I already told you," Medusa said. "I'm going to use you to bring about madness in the world! By attaching you to Crona, you and your Meister will never be apart, and thus you can collect souls anytime you want without worrying about losing each other in the process!"

"But . . . I thought weapons were _supposed_ to collect souls!" I said, confused. "How will doing what I'm supposed to do help spread madness?"

"You're supposed to collect _kishin_ souls," Medusa corrected me. "But _you_, Ragnarok, are going to collect _human souls_ and become the greatest kishin of them all!"

"H-human souls?" I exclaimed, my voice rising an octave. "But that's _wrong!_"

"You don't have a choice!" Medusa snarled, suddenly coming very close to me. "As Crona can tell you, and as you experienced a little earlier, bad things happen if you disobey me."

I looked down at her despondent son, still crying miserably, and I realized the awful truth:

There was no way out. I was going to be stuck like this forever, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Now, it might take you two a little time to get used to each other, so I'll let you be for a little while," Medusa said, starting to walk towards the door, but I barely heard her. My whole body (or whatever the hell I had now), had gone numb. "I'll explain more of what I'm going to ask you to do when I come back."

And with that, she exited the room, leaving me and Crona alone.

"Damn it . . .," I cursed weakly, lightly punching the thing closest to me (which happened to be Crona's head). As I sat there listening to Crona's sobbing, I began to realize that I'd probably never see the only two people I loved most again- my parents.

This insight struck me like a physical blow to the heart, and I finally broke down.

As Crona and I sat there crying, I vowed that someday I would have my revenge- someday, I'd kill the witch that took everything away from me.

But, until then, I'd just have to wait with my new Meister, with whom I was now forever fated to be stuck with . . . whether I wanted to be or not.

* * *

So, there you have it. That's my story. Not quite what you expected, huh?

I tried to escape from Medusa's clutches on a few occasions, but between Crona being too scared to leave and Medusa watching our every move, we were always caught and punished. And let me tell you, it was _not_ a pleasant experience.

But, as you probably know, I eventually _did_ get revenge on Medusa, although I nearly died in the process, thanks to that idiot Meister of mine . . .

I sometimes wonder how different my life would've been if I hadn't been born with black blood. I'd probably still be in school like any normal person, working towards getting the job I'd always dreamed of, whatever that might've turned out to be.

Heck, who knows if I'd even have been born a _weapon_ . . . I could've been a normal human, and then none of this "Demon Sword" and "black blood" crap would've never happened.

As it is, now Crona and I are working for the DWMA, collecting kishin souls for Lord Death. So far, we've gotten ninety-one; eight more (plus one witch's soul), and I'll become a Death Scythe!

Crona and I are still stuck with each other, but we've gotten used to it by now . . . mostly. There _are_ times when I just can't stand him, but all I have to do is whack him on the head a few times and he gets straightened out.

Well, I guess that's about all I have to tell you- now you know exactly how I came to be inside Crona's bloodstream.

I just have one piece of advice before I go and let you all get back to your lives:

If you happen to see a witch wandering around, _run the other way_. Run as fast as you can and never look back, because if they catch you, well . . .

You might end up like _me, _stuck inside of an idiot Meister who can't handle the world.

And you wouldn't know how to deal with that now, would you?

. . . _Damn it_, I said it again, didn't I? _Geez,_ Crona . . .

_~Ragnarok, aka "The Demon Sword"_

* * *

**A/N: And thus, Ragnarok's story comes to a close. Please tell me what you thought- I might be making little oneshots based off of this story, but if I do they probably won't be in the near future. Still, keep your eyes peeled! Thanks again for reading!**


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